The Devil In The White City
Erik Larson's iconic book The Devil in the White City relives the events leading up to the World's Fair of Chicago that occurred in the late 1800s. It is a novel of contrasts, as the title first evidenced. The Fair was known as the “White City”, as it was both literally white and a bright example of the magic America and the world could offer. In contrast with this image is the devil in the personality and nature of Holmes, committing horrible acts only a few blocks from the Fair. The question points out more contrasts. The quote “What a human downfall after the magnificence and prodigality of the World’s Fair…”(334) refers to the "before" and "after" of the Fair, and once the Fair ended and all the visitors left, there was little to none of the magic …show more content…
Once the Olympics are over, there is nothing particularly positive left behind in the host city. The specially made buildings and other areas are not generally useful and fall into run downed states , and the regions near the sites were in the same shape, perhaps even worse than before. The events prospere, but the people around it and built it did not. This can be related back to how the Fair affected the city of Chicago. Chicago was not a rich city to begin with, and the harsh conditions of weather, crime, and just living conditions took a serious toll on the inhabitants. It was an area on the rush of becoming what it is today, but during the time it was no place to live peacefully. The Fair in was built primarily by people who needed work desperately; however, once the Fair was built, the work was gone and the conditions of these laborers remained the same. The contrast is between the extravagant White City which the world came to see and the city around it which was still dirty and miserable. All the glorious innovations displayed at the Fair promised a bright future; in contrast was the deprivation of the then current
The Devil In The White City Character Analysis
581 Words | 3 PagesW. Mudgett. Extensive detail is included regarding the differences between each character—their personalities, desires, and behaviors—that allow the reader to synthesize information such as why Mudgett has psychopathic tendencies and why Burnham was raised differently from Mudgett, thus contributing to his contrasting actions and roles within the story. As the plot progresses, Burnham is blessed with success as the World’s Fair attracts thousands of visitors and provides humanity with a certain “pride.” Mudgett, conversely, uses the World’s Fair as an opportunity to fulfill his own sick interests. Burnham gives to humanity, while Mudgett drains his fellow
Analysis Of Devil In The White City By Erik Larson
2009 Words | 9 PagesThe Artistic, Moral, and Inventive Progress of America A six month long fair with lights and technology that the world had never seen anything like, a charming, blue eyed killer, and the beautiful city of Chicago; all elements that make up the novel, Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. This book is a retelling of the events that transpired in the city of Chicago before, during, and after the building of the Chicago World’s Fair, also called the World’s Columbian Exposition. For the majority of the book, each chapter switches off between the production of the fair and the life of the killer H.H. Holmes (his real name being Herman Webster Mudgett). Holmes is considered by many to be America’s first serial killer, and his actions are covered
Symbolism In The Devil In The White City
118 Words | 1 PagesThe non fiction novel, “The Devil in the White City”, is filled with twists and turns as author Eric Larson compares the lives of two men thought to be living two entirely different lives. Chicago’s World Fair, in remembrance of the landing of Columbus in America, is a major aspect in the lives of both men, named H.H Holmes and Daniel Burnham. In this specific passage, however, the literary element of symbolism is applied and very well so. The illuminations lighting up the city symbolizes positivity. With European rivals always “one step ahead”, the lights covering Chicago specifically give a sense of hope and America’s potential to be improved.
Summary Of The Devil In The White City By Erik Larson
1140 Words | 5 PagesThe book, “The Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson, is intriguing by the title alone. I had not previously heard about the book or the major events in the book, so it was interesting being able to read without bringing presumptions to the text. The “White City” mentioned in the title is Chicago, Illinois where the meat of the story occurs. “The Devil” mentioned in the title, is referring to Herman Webster Mudgett, commonly known by alias Dr. H. H. Holmes. This novel follows the construction of the World’s Columbian Exposition Fair in Chicago by architect Daniel Burnham whom is striving to prove to the nation and world that he is capable of building never-before built concepts within unheard of time frames.
Comparison Of Beneath The Gore And Loom, By Erik Larson
806 Words | 4 PagesErik Larson, the author of The Devil in the White City writes, “Beneath the gore and smoke and loom, this book is about the evanescence of life, and why some men choose to fill their brief allotment of time engaging in the impossible, others in the manufacture of sorrow.” Larson’s statement reasons to compare and contrast the two main characters, Daniel Burnham and Henry H. Holmes through the different structures and word choices of their chapters. Burnham was the famous architect that built the World’s Fair in Chicago in a time span of less than two years, while Holmes was the first American serial killer who lured victims into his life. Larson refers the “White City” to the “Black City” in correspondence to good versus evil. Burnham represents
Analysis Of The Devil In The White City By Erik Larson
658 Words | 3 PagesI picked The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson as my one book to read this summer because the serial killer aspect of the novel really appealed to me as compelling and interesting. Larson tells two different stories in the novel that are tied together by happening in the same city of Chicago in the 1890s. It tells of Daniel Burnham and his determination to create something good and H. H. Holmes, a serial killer who practices great evil. This book has a meaningful impact on how I view life as it divulges the difference between good and evil. I have always thought I was a good person or at least I try to be.
Theme Of The Devil In The White City
757 Words | 4 PagesThe World Exhibition which was meant to be a shining beacon of the modern world to show the advancements of humankind would be tainted by the horrors brought by a depraved man considered to be America's first serial killer, H.H. Holmes. In Erik Larson’s novel “The Devil in the White City’ Larson details the ingenious architecture, science, politics, and gruesome murders of Chicago during the Gilded Age of The United States. Larson paints his picture with vivid and engaging language with incredible use of colors depicting the psychotic blue shown across Holmes's facade and the burning flame in Roots' persistence to plan the World Fair. Larson uses these themes to help the reader understand the changes the world will face as technology advances
Devil In A Blue African-American Woman
182 Words | 1 PagesDevil in a Blue Dress’s Easy has different views on women that Philip Marlowe, the most important thing in Easy Rawlins’ life is his beloved little property he owns. Easy says, “But that house meant more to me than any woman I ever know. ”(Mosley, 56-57) Because Easy’s house is his ‘girl’, he will do anything it takes not to lose her as anyone would with the woman they love. Easy meets a woman, Hattie Parsons, when he is going to visit John’s bar to find more information on Daphne Monet for Mr. Albright. Easy talks to Hattie to get information so that he can continue on with his investigation, he can use her for information because the two of them already had a previous relationship and he is not afraid to ask an African-American woman for information,
The Negative Effects Of Hosting The Olympics
1061 Words | 5 PagesThe Olympics almost always cause negative economic effects for cities. Although cities expect to earn revenue through the Olympics, not many cities generate a substantial amount of revenue. Los Angeles, the host city of the 1984 Olympics, is a rare example of a city profiting from the Olympics: “Los Angeles actually profited by $100 million from the 1984 Summer Olympics mostly by using existing stadiums” (Perryman 17). That city did generate money, but cities
The Devil In The White City Essay
1116 Words | 5 PagesIn Erik Larson’s novel The Devil in the White City takes place during the Gilded Age. During this period of time everything appears good and golden on the outside when in reality everything was full of corruption. In the novel, the author takes the reader to the city of Chicago, where the city is “swelled “in population causing the city to expand in all “available directions” (Larson 44). As Chicago became the “second most populous [city] in the nation after New York” there was an urge that city show off to the world and the nation of how great it was through the Chicago World’s Fair (Larson 44).
The Devil In The White City Rhetorical Analysis
819 Words | 4 PagesThe Devil in the White City Rhetorical Analysis Essay The Chicago World’s Fair, one of America’s most compelling historical events, spurred an era of innovative discoveries and life-changing inventions. The fair brought forward a bright and hopeful future for America; however, there is just as much darkness as there is light and wonder. In the non-fiction novel, The Devil in the White City, architect Daniel Burnham and serial killer H. H. Holmes are the perfect representation of the light and dark displayed in Chicago. Erik Larson uses positive and negative tone, juxtaposition, and imagery to express that despite the brightness and newfound wonder brought on by the fair, darkness lurks around the city in the form of murder, which at first, went unnoticed.
The Devil In The White City Analysis
1584 Words | 7 PagesThe book follows his struggle and work to put this huge fair together, and also make it a huge profiting attraction. He faces many obstacles and internal conflict while doing so. The second is H. H. Holmes, an insane serial killer who was active during the existence of the fair. He had different businesses and practices he would use to lure women, in order to kill them and sometimes the women in their families. The book takes place in Chicago during the early 1890s, as
Compare And Contrast The Devil And The White City
870 Words | 4 PagesHolmes, the mysterious serial killer. Burnham and Holmes have many similarities, the biggest one being their sheer determination to reach a goal or get what they want, which is used towards the manufacture of good, or the manufacture of sorrow. However their differences separate them apart, their biggest difference being their actions, as one build the World’s Fair and does this for the wellbeing of everyone, while Holmes uses his talent to kill many people, and cause commotion in Chicago and such. In conclusion, Erik Larson tries to show the underlying difference between good and evil, and how no matter what, evil is accompanied by good, and vice versa. Even the title of the book “The Devil in the White City” shows the most prominent theme of this amazing novel, by Erik
The Devil In The White City Book Report
1904 Words | 8 PagesThe Devil in the White City gives a unique glimpse into how there is both bad and good existing in the city. In my opinion the point of the book was to show how both good and bad coexist in one place. Sometimes with the knowledge of the other existing. The book was written by Erik Larson and published by first vintage books. Published almost 14 years ago the book is still relevant today and still has much to teach us.
The Devil In The White City Dorian Gray Analysis
1736 Words | 7 PagesThe events presented in The Devil in the White City and The Picture of Dorian Gray help steer the reader to interpret each text as a representation of progress as a force of destruction. The Chicago World Fair is described in exquisite detail in the Erik Larson’s account of how it came about. Oscar Wilde’s novel explores the actual portrait of Dorian Gray as his personality changes through the progression of the book. Although both pieces of literature work with different platforms in writing, they all come together to emphasize the idea that the progression of any sort comes at the price of destruction. In The Devil in the White City, Larson writes extensively about the construction and execution of the Chicago World Fair, H. H. Holmes
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